Chapter 14: Come On, Unleash the Cheat!!

“Where’s Li Rui? Camera guy, where’s Li Rui?”

“Damn, this is Hupu, not a live video stream.”

“There’s no bullet screen on TV. I’m watching TV while browsing the forum.”

“Awesome!!”

“A five-year Li Rui fan passing by.”

“NBA trivia: Li Rui just started playing in the NBA this year.”

“A little NBA insight: I was Li Rui’s high school classmate; he was already outstanding back then.”

...

Many fans were watching the game on their phones through Hupu or Zhibo8, browsing posts and interacting with other fans in real time.

At that moment, the TV camera shifted to the Lakers’ player entrance ceremony.

First out were Walton, then Vujacic, Bynum, Li Rui... Kobe came out last, receiving the loudest cheers.

After the entrance ceremony, the American cameraman kept the lens fixed on Li Rui, clearly aware that Li Rui had played well in the previous game.

Li Rui’s image was projected onto the screen above the arena, prompting cheers from many Lakers fans in attendance, gaining him some new supporters.

“Hey man, don’t stress about coming off the bench. Even I’m a starter and I’m not as nervous as you,” Bynum said, putting an arm around Li Rui’s shoulder.

“You’re the one who’s nervous, I can tell. Don’t worry, Anzhu,” Li Rui patted Bynum’s backside.

Li Rui wasn’t as nervous as Bynum suggested; he was just a bit excited. This was his first clear recognition of being part of the rotation since joining the NBA.

Before, he mostly played during garbage time.

Just one rotation spot, but it was what he had always longed for.

This made Li Rui think of Klay’s late career.

After a major injury, Klay couldn’t bear being a substitute and struggled to accept his mediocrity.

Players are different— not every NBA player is a superstar. Different backgrounds lead to different mindsets on the court.

Take teammate Kwame Brown as a cautionary tale—his mentality broke him.

Settling into the best seat on the bench, Li Rui sat down to watch the cheerleaders.

He realized that NBA players might enjoy off-court attention and adoration as much as playing.

No wonder so many strive to become stars.

...

The Mavericks’ starters:

Point guard: Devin Harris

Shooting guard: Jason Terry

Small forward: Josh Howard

Power forward: Dirk Nowitzki

Center: Erick Dampier

At 1.91 meters tall, Harris’s strength is speed. Li Rui recalled that when Harris later became the leader of the Nets, he broke the Guinness World Record for fastest full-court dribble. But besides speed, Harris had many flaws—poor shooting, weak defense, and average playmaking—which prevented him from becoming a better player. This season, he averaged 10 points and 3 assists per game.

Terry was an explosive scorer, nicknamed “The Jet.” His shooting was accurate, and his pick-and-roll plays with Nowitzki were deadly. The Mavericks often relied on him to handle the ball in clutch moments. However, his defense was limited by his natural talent, averaging 17 points and 5 assists this season.

Josh Howard was a two-way player, precise mid-range shooter, and solid defender—a very good non-superstar player. His presence was vital to the Mavericks’ defensive system, averaging 19 points and 7 rebounds this season.

Nowitzki was the absolute core and system builder of the Mavericks, while center Dampier focused more on defense and rebounding.

Once the game began, the Lakers were dominated by the Mavericks.

The Mavericks played with high energy at the Staples Center.

In the first possession, Nowitzki caught the ball inside and spun into a classic one-legged “Golden Rooster” pose.

Then Kobe drove from the left side and countered with a gliding finger roll layup.

Under Avery Johnson’s tactical setup, the Mavericks’ offense was well-organized, revolving around Nowitzki’s various little plays.

The Mavericks were a mid-range shooting team, and when their mid-range shots fell, the Lakers’ defense struggled.

The Lakers’ offense still relied heavily on Kobe, though defenders Harris and Terry were not exceptional. The Mavericks’ strategy was to double-team Kobe relentlessly.

If two defenders weren’t enough, three would swarm him, which lowered Kobe’s efficiency.

The Mavericks ensured Kobe wouldn’t repeat his three-quarter 62-point miracle.

Rookie Anzhu, facing “second center” Dampier, was visibly nervous. In one possession, he clumsily fumbled a lob pass from Kobe.

Kobe’s face immediately turned cold.

Nearby, Dampier taunted with words: “You call yourself ‘Little Shark’? More like ‘Little Dolphin.’”

Little Dolphin?

Hearing that nickname, Bynum was dumbfounded.

Kobe and the opponent’s verbal exchange only made Bynum more anxious. The Lakers’ interior kept having little problems.

Fans watching live were utterly despairing. They felt the stark difference between the Lakers and top-tier teams.

Even with superstar Kobe, they seemed incapable of beating the Mavericks. Their roster depth was awful; no one besides Kobe could score.

That damn Parker!

Damn it!

Completely invisible, zero points, zero assists—what was he even doing on the court?

And that Anzhu Bynum, who gave him the nickname “Little Shark”? He was such a pig, couldn’t even catch passes cleanly.

Odom was spaced out on inbound plays—what was on his mind?

Lakers fans were filled with resentment. They finally understood why Kobe was often unhappy and yelled at his teammates.

If they were Kobe, they’d probably yell even harsher.

---

With 3:24 left in the first quarter, the score was 22-10, Lakers trailing by double digits. Kobe had scored eight points, and Odom had two.

At this point, the Zen Master waved his hand and sent Li Rui in to replace the invisible Parker, Kwame Brown replaced Anzhu, and Vujacic replaced Walton. Odom and Kobe remained on the court.

The Mavericks also made substitutions: Terry and Josh Howard went out, replaced by Barea and Stackhouse.

“Oh wow, Li Rui’s taking off his pants.”

“He’s in! Li Rui’s finally in the rotation today, progress!”

“Come on!”

“Keep it up, Li Rui.”

“Hope he doesn’t fizzle out after one game.”

Domestic fans exploded with comments the moment Li Rui was set to enter.

At the sidelines, Bynum grimaced and high-fived Li Rui: “Li, all I can say is good luck...”

Bynum had been thoroughly beaten up lately. He felt starting against the league’s best was terrible timing.

Next time, he wanted to start only against weaker teams.

If only he could control his own starting schedule intelligently.

Peak when it counts to show his true power!

Li Rui nodded firmly to Bynum, wanting to say he had underestimated him.

Though he was raw when he first joined the Lakers, he was no longer the same.

Ninety-nine percent talent plus one percent effort made Li Rui different.

Trailing on the scoreboard, the team needed him to save the day. It was time to show these cowboys what he was made of.

Li Rui brimmed with confidence.

“You’ve used [Shooting Form Potion].”

His hands warmed up.

“Yeah!”

The feeling was so pleasant that Li Rui couldn’t help but groan softly.

He then saw his original three-point shooting attribute of 94 instantly surge to 99...

Come on, let the whole world see what a 99 shooting stat looks like!

Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki, prepare to tremble!!

...